With the Rams on their way to Los Angeles, and the Chargers likely to follow, attention now turns toward the odd-man-out Raiders franchise, owner Mark Davis and the Oakland market they’ve alienated in their failed pursuit of relocation.
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“We already have 12 of the corporate entities nailed down and ready with serious commitments”, McCombs told ESPN San Antonio Radio.
It’s no coincidence that media reports linking the Raiders to San Antonio emerged immediately after the door was slammed shut on the Raiders moving to L.A. With the very real threat of the Raiders bolting from the Bay Area back to Southern California, the folks in Oakland did nothing meaningful to assist with the construction of a new stadium. “I respect that things did not go the way Mark Davis wanted them to go, but I know that Mark recognizes the power of that Raider fan base that is here in Oakland”, Schaaf said. McCombs said it’s merely a matter of convincing Davis, a San Antonio native, and the 31 other National Football League owners that moving the Raiders out of California is in their best interests.
The Chronicle reported Wednesday that it is still possible for the Raiders to move during this offseason because the team satisfied the NFL’s relocation guidelines during the recent three-team competition to move to Los Angeles.
Still, it’s unclear whether the new approach is viable or whether Raiders owner Mark Davis, who has been increasingly critical of the mayor, will consider it.
The parcel of land is halfway between San Antonio and Austin. However, Schaaf still refuses to help for a new stadium or give Davis complete control over the stadium which is mainly used to host Oakland Athletics baseball games.
Matthews said the stadium has locker rooms for two home teams and LED lighting to change the stadium’s colors.
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San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Richard Perez, who also was involved in talks of relocating the Raiders to San Antonio, agreed with Mayor Cisneros. Why am I not the Raiders’ marketing director, tell me? If the Chargers decline, the Raiders would still have a chance to move in on that deal. Officials said the first order of business is a new lease or lease extension for the Raiders at O.co Coliseum for next year and Schaaf said a new stadium proposal could take about a year to hammer out.
